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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: chip · tube · cabinet · prune · plane · rule · sharp · net

  1. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. rule — a law
  4. chip — to eat
  5. net — in sport
  6. rule — government
  7. chip — for betting
  8. plane — a tool
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. prune — to trim
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. net — for catching
  17. net — after costs
  18. sharp — clever
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. tube — the underground
  21. prune — to trim
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. tube — a container

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com